In this lull before the Paris Olympics, track season (and road racing) continues unabated. Many Flagstaff-based athletes competed on Saturday (and late Friday night). Here are some highlights:
— UPDATED 7/14: At the Boilermaker 15K on Sunday in Utica, New York, Hoka NAZ Elite’s Wesley Kiptoo continued his strong road racing, placing third in 43:13, though far offthe pace of winner John Korir (42:11) and runner-up Jemel Yimer (42:!9).
In fourth place, nine seconds behind Kiptoo, was McKirdy Trained’s Yemane Hailesellassie (43:22). Biya Simbassa, part of Ryan Hall’s training group, placed eighth in 43:53. NAZ Elite’s Matt Baxter was 12th in 45:05.
Paige Wood, the NAZ Elite marathoner making her return to racing after giving birth seven months ago, placed 14th among the women at 53:16.
— At the USATF 6K Road Championships Saturday morning in Canton, Ohio, no Flagstaff woman cracked the podium, as Annie Rodenfels (the winner, 18:03), Amanda Vestri and Emma Grace Hurley set a fast pace, but Hoka NAZ Elite’s Abby Nichols and Hoka’s Rachel Smith led the chase pack.
Nichols and Smith, both coming off the recent U.S. Olympic Trials, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Nichols ran 18:36 to Smith’s 18:37. Ten seconds behind in sixth place was Emily Durgin, who trains half the year in Flagstaff.
Recent NAU graduate Annika Reiss, now testing the professional ranks, placed eighth in 18:58 in what is believed to be her first pro race. Just behind Reiss was NAZ Elite’s Stephanie Bruce in 18:59. Dark Sky’s Alicia Cridebring was 13th in 19:17.
— Saturday at the Guldensporenmeeting, a World Athletics bronze-level meet in Kortrijk, Belgium, NAZ Elite’s Olin Hacker notched his second straight victory, taking the 1,500 meters in 3:36.43, edging Great Britain’s Henry McLuckie.
Two other Flagstaff-based runners competed. Dark Sky’s Jack Anstey of Australia was fourth in 3:37.26 and NAZ Elite’s Ahmed Muhumed sixth in 3:37.36.
— On Friday night at the Morton Games in Dublin, Dark Sky’s Kasey Knevelbaard placed ninth in the hotly contested Morton Mile in 3:56.37. It was a PR for Knevelbaard for the mile on the track. Ireland’s Cathal Doyle won in 3:52.06.
— Meanwhile, in Pittsburgh at America’s Mile, Dark Sky’s Ben Veatch finished fourth in 4:05, as Clayton Murphy took the victory in 4:03.
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